Riley has worked for Gov. Deal for more than 24 years. He first worked for Deal in the then-state senator’s 1992 campaign for Congress and spent the next 17 years working for Deal’s House office, serving most of that time as chief of staff. In 2009, Riley left the congressional office to run Deal’s campaign for governor. A Gainesville native, Riley graduated from North Hall High School and Georgia Southern University. He and his wife, Bambi, have two sons and live in Gainesville.